London Welsh “not eligible for Premiership” shock

Posted on May 23, 2012 in London Welsh

In a shock decision, the RFU has ruled that London Welsh have not met the Minimum Standards Criteria for entry to the Premiership.

The Rugby Football Union’s Board of Directors has considered the findings of the independent audit report requested by London Welsh, which determines a club’s eligibility for promotion to the Aviva Premiership in line with the Minimum Standards Criteria (MSC).

The report, carried out by independent auditors, found that London Welsh has not met the MSC for the Aviva Premiership. The independent auditors identified various failures, including not having Primacy of Tenure at their nominated ground. This states that a club must demonstrate that they can host home fixtures at the time stipulated by Premiership Rugby and/or the host broadcaster.

The RFU Board ratified the findings and agreed, should London Welsh win the RFU Championship final following the second leg on May 30, they would not be eligible for promotion and Newcastle Falcons would remain in the Aviva Premiership.

Cornish Pirates did not choose to have an independent audit of the Mennaye Field and so do not fulfil the criteria for promotion should they win the final. As a result, there will be no promotion from the RFU Championship this season.

London Welsh have the right to appeal and would be required to do so within 14 days of this decision.

The Minimum Standards Criteria are set by the Professional Game Board (PGB) – a joint group from the RFU, Premiership Rugby, RFU Championship clubs and the Rugby Players’ Association. They are designed to ensure high standards across the Premiership are maintained both on and off the field.

Former Scotland international Scott MacLeod joins Falcons

Posted on May 14, 2012 in Newcastle Falcons

Newcastle Falcons have completed the signing of former Scotland international Scott MacLeod for the start of the 2012-13 season.

The 33-year-old, who has 23 Scottish caps to his name, brings a wealth of experience to Kingston Park having featured in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Hawick-born MacLeod joins the Falcons on the back of a year’s stint with Japanese outfit Kobe Steelers.

Prior to his move to the Far East, MacLeod played for Border Reivers, Scarlets and latterly Edinburgh, establishing himself as a top-class second-row.

MacLeod won his first cap in 2004 and made his final appearance against Wales in Scotland’s 2011 Six Nations campaign.

The 6ft 6” 17st 5lb hit-man is delighted to have the opportunity to make the switch to the ambitious Falcons under the stewardship of incoming director of rugby Dean Richards.

Speaking to the Falcons official website MacLeod said: “Newcastle Falcons are a club with great potential and I am really looking forward joining up with my new teammates.

“I am good mates with Ally Hogg and he has told me how good the team spirit is at the club, and it can only go from strength to strength under the management of Dean Richards.”

Semi-final Attention Turns From the ‘Mennaye’ To The ‘Mem’

Posted on May 11, 2012 in Bristol, Cornish Pirates

Following last Monday’s RFU Championship first leg semi-final match played at the Mennaye Field, Penzance, which saw the Cornish Pirates defeat Bristol Rugby 45-24, the attention now turns to the second leg, scheduled for Sunday at the Memorial Stadium, Bristol (ko 12.45pm).

The Pirates will carry a healthy 21 points lead into this return encounter, but they will be mindful that their job is not yet complete. This is, in effect, only half-time, and in the knowledge that Bristol have an unbeaten record at home in the Championship this season, it will also be noted that they have also registered some hefty victories along the way.

Recording such an emphatic result in the first leg certainly drew extra attention to the Pirates, and to the Championship competition in general, as nobody but nobody would have predicted a 45-24 outcome. Besides ‘Sky’ television, who had their best ever ratings for the Championship for this game, national press coverage was also unprecedented, not forgetting also that supporters of Newcastle Falcons quite understandably followed the match with added interest, as they will again this coming weekend.

For Sunday’s game Kyle Marriott continues at No. 8 for the Cornish Pirates, having been a second half replacement on Monday for the injured Ben Maidment, and lock Matt Smith is named on the bench. The full selection is as follows:-

Cornish Pirates: R. Cook, G. Pointer, S. Hill, A. Suniula, D. Doherty, C. Thomas, G. Cattle (capt), K. Marriott, P. Burgess, C. Morgan, I. Nimmo, L. McGlone, A. Paver, D. Ward, C. Rimmer.

Replacements: R. Storer, R. Elloway, R. Brits, M. Smith, D. Ewers, T. Kessell, M. Evans.

Falcon’s Pilgrim re-signs

Posted on May 9, 2012 in Newcastle Falcons, Premiership

Chris Pilgrim is the latest player to pledge his future to the ambitious Newcastle Falcons after signing an extension to his contract.

Pilgrim, 26, who joins Jimmy Gopperth, Ally Hogg and Rob Vickers on the committed list, reveals he is excited at the prospect of developing his game under the stewardship of incoming director of rugby Dean Richards.

He told the Falcons official website: “I am delighted to have signed a new contract and I am really looking forward to working under Dean Richards.

“The fact that Dean Richards is coming in has had a massive bearing on my decision to stay in the North East and there is certainly a very bright future for the club.

“I want to be a part of something special here – now my aim is to get my head down and keep working hard in training.”

The Birkenhead-born No.9 has competed with Will Chudley and latterly Peter Stringer for a starting berth this campaign.

Pilgrim admits Ireland international Stringer has had a significant impact on his game since joining the Falcons on loan from Munster.

“Peter [Stringer] has really helped my game both on and off the field,” said Pilgrim.

He added: “The way he goes about his business from a game management point of view and how he interacts with the forwards is world class.

“I have learnt a lot from him in recent weeks and I cannot wait to develop my skills in pre-season. Since Gary [Gold] came in things have also improved for me.”

Joining the Falcons in the summer of 2009 from Championship outfit Nottingham, Pilgrim played a key role in helping his side lift the J.P Morgan Premiership Rugby 7’s trophy last year.

The former Loughborough student believes the Falcons can go all the way to the top with the backing of owner Semore Kurdi.

He said: “Semore is very passionate about rugby in the North East and he wants the Falcons to go all the way to the top.

“He has signalled his intent with a number of changes such as the restructuring of the academy, the new medical suite and of course the appointment of Dean.”

Gloucester Rugby name side for visit of Newcastle Falcons

Posted on Apr 13, 2012 in English Rugby, Gloucester, Premiership

Head Coach Bryan Redpath has made minimum changes to his Gloucester Rugby side as Newcastle Falcons come to Kingsholm for the latest round of Aviva Premiership Rugby.

There’s a lot riding on the game for both sides with Gloucester currently occupying the final Heineken Cup qualification place and the Falcons still striving to avoid the drop at the foot of the table.

The main changes for Gloucester are in the midfield where Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu and Mike Tindall both return while, up front, Alex Brown comes in for Tom Savage.

Talking to the local media this week, Redpath was aware of the significance of the game for both sides.

“Newcastle are fighting for their lives to stay in the Premiership while we’re fighting to stay in the top six.

“Top six is very important for us. The Heineken Cup is important to the club, this year’s matches were great and we want to see it back at Kingsholm next year.

“So, there’s a lot of stake for both clubs and some people will say there’s more at stake for someone who’s fighting for their livelihood.

“But, in my eyes, we have to fight to make sure we reward our home fans for their loyalty and the consistent support they’ve given us.

“They (Newcastle) are dangerous. We have to be very disciplined, committed and have an intensity around our defence. We can score tries but we’ve been leaking too many as well.” 

Gloucester Rugby:

Jonny May; Charlie Sharples, Mike Tindall, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, James Simpson-Daniel; Freddie Burns, Nick Runciman; Dan Murphy, Scott Lawson, Rupert Harden; Jim Hamilton, Alex Brown; Peter Buxton, Akapusi Qera, Luke Narraway (capt)

Replacements:

Darren Dawidiuk, Yann Thomas, Shaun Knight, Will James, Alasdair Strokosch, Dave Lewis, Tim Taylor, Tim Molenaar